Dietetic Internship
The philosophy of the Bastyr University Dietetic Internship is to effectively deliver an internship that meets the accreditation standards set by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (the Academy) while supporting the mission statement of the Department of Nutrition and Exercise Science.
The mission of the Bastyr University Dietetic Internship is to educate future leaders in the dietetic profession by preparing entry-level registered dietitian nutritionists who will integrate whole foods, environmental nutrition and complementary medicine perspectives into their nutrition practice.
The program is designed to meet the eligibility requirements and accreditation standards for dietetic internship programs as defined by the Academy, with the intention that those who successfully complete the program will have met the performance requirements for entry-level dietitian nutritionists through supervised practice. The internship provides an interactive set of educational experiences in which participants perform the Nutrition Care Process in a variety of settings, demonstrate professional skills, perform continuous self-assessment and develop collaborative relationships to achieve desired outcomes. The program includes didactic coursework via seminars, group projects and individual self-enrichment experiences.
Interns gain experience in medical nutrition therapy, community nutrition and food service administration. Interns develop insight into the unique nutritional needs of populations from all stages of the life cycle and in various degrees of health through rotation sites that include acute care and outpatient clinics, WIC programs and food service departments.
The Bastyr University Dietetic Internship has a concentration in natural medicine and whole-food nutrition. Interns have the opportunity to practice with clinicians in the naturopathic medicine program and in the acupuncture and East Asian medicine program at the University’s teaching clinic, Bastyr Center for Natural Health. Interns create whole-food menus and consider the environmental impacts of food choices.
The internship is a full-time program (minimum of 40 hours per week) meeting the requirements for 1,200 minimum supervised practice hours. The program also includes didactic hours, enrichment hours, and hours for orientation and evaluation, as well as vacation and holidays.
Interns are required to register for 15 graduate credits, which may be applied toward the elective requirements of the Master of Science in Nutrition degree at Bastyr University upon acceptance into the master’s program. The graduate course content is structured to complement the supervised practice component of the internship. The internship graduate courses follow, listed in the order taken: